It is well known that a high current electrical connection can be very dangerous. If a person comes into contact with an electrically live metal component, the person may be critically injured. Due to the large size of high current socket contacts in industrial plants, it is possible, using many typical electrical power connectors, for a person to insert a finger or other object into a socket opening and touch electrically live components within the socket. For example, in circuses and theatrical environments, a need exists to connect and disconnect high amperage circuits in locations which might be accessible to the public.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,823 to Bemardini, proposes a solution to the above-described problem. The '823 reference is hereby incorporated into this specification in its entirety. In the '823 patent, a female contact is provided for creating an electrical connection only upon insertion of a male plug. Insertion of a foreign object such as a finger will not produce a connection and thus there is no threat of electrocution. The female contact described in the '823 patent includes two separate areas, one which is energized (17) and one which is unenergized (15). Within the female contact is a biased plunger 21. The plunger is biased to a first position shown in FIG. 1 for blocking fingers and other extraneous objects from entering the female contact. The plunger can be moved by the male plug, against the spring biasing, to a position which completes the electrical connection between the male plug and the female contact. The '823 patent, however, does not describe any structure for preventing a person from contacting the energized area (17). Further, the '823 patent only describes a simple locking mechanism for locking the male and female contacts together.
Accordingly, needs still exist in the art to satisfy these requirements.